(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)

Logo: TVO Kids News.

Daniel dances in the studio.

Daniel is in his twenties, with short curly brown hair and wears glasses, jeans, a red TVO Kids T-shirt and an unbuttoned red and black plaid shirt.

He says WELCOME BACK.
IT IS TIME FOR OUR
TVO K NEWS
FEATURE.
NOW, DO YOU KNOW WHAT
DEMOCRACY IS?
LET'S CHECK IN WITH THE
RANCHDALE PUBLIC SCHOOL
STUDENTS,
AND HEAR WHAT THEY
HAVE TO SAY.

On a screen behind him, two girls say A DEMOCRACY IS...

One of the girls says FREEDOM.

A girl with brown hair in a braid says YOU'RE FREE TO, LIKE,
WALK AROUND.

A girl in a pink hoodie says READ YOU OWN BOOKS.
YOU CAN SPEAK YOUR
OWN LANGUAGES.

A blond girl in a pink tank top says WE HAVE DIFFERENT,
LIKE, RULES AND...

A girl with brown hair and glasses says IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY
WITH THE LAWS,
THEN YOU CAN WRITE A LETTER
TO THE GOVERNMENT.
OR YOU CAN JUST CALL THEM,
OR MEET THEM IN PERSON.

Daniel says JOINING US NOW,
WE HAVE STEVE PAIKIN,
WHO'S A HOST OF
THE AGENDA.
WELCOME, STEVE.

Steve is in his fifties, with short curly brown hair and wears a blue suit, white shirt, and polka dotted blue tie.

Steve says HELLO, DANIEL,

Daniel says GOOD TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN.
IT'S A PLEASURE
HAVING YOU HERE.
NOW, WE JUST HEARD FROM THE
RANCHDALE STUDENTS.
ARE THEY RIGHT
ABOUT DEMOCRACY?

Steve says YEAH, I THINK THAT'S
A PRETTY GOOD LIST.
THERE'S A FEW OTHER
THINGS I'D ADD TO THE LIST.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE FREEDOM TO
EXPRESS YOURSELF
THE WAY YOU WANT TO,
THE FREEDOM TO THINK
WHAT YOU WANT TO,
THE FREEDOM TO ASSEMBLE IN
GROUPS THE WAY YOU WANT TO.
OF COURSE THE FREEDOM TO BELIEVE
IN THE GOD THAT YOU WANT,
WORSHIP WHO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT
HAVE ANY RELIGION AT ALL.
AND OF COURSE,
SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT
AT THIS TIME OF OUR LIVES,
THE FREEDOM TO VOTE FOR THE
GOVERNMENTS THAT WE WANT
AND THE PARLIAMENTS
THAT WE WANT.

Daniel says THAT'S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
NOW, WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION
FROM OTHER STUDENTS,
SO LET'S CHECK IT OUT.

Steve says SURE.

The girl with the braid says MY NAME IS IYA,
AND WHAT IS IT LIKE
IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN
A DEMOCRACY?

Daniel says OOH, GOOD QUESTION.
SO, STEVE, WHAT IS IT LIKE?

Steve says THAT IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION,
AND IT'S BASICALLY THE OPPOSITE
OF EVERYTHING WE JUST SAID.
IF YOU'RE UNLUCKY ENOUGH IN
THIS WORLD NOT TO LIVE
IN A WONDERFUL DEMOCRATIC
COUNTRY LIKE CANADA,
YOU DON'T GET TO SAY WHAT
YOU WANT IN PUBLIC,
YOU DON'T GET TO ASSEMBLE IN
GROUPS THE WAY YOU WANT TO.
THERE MAY BE A STATE FORCING
YOU TO BELIEVE IN A
CERTAIN RELIGION, OR NOT HAVE
ANY RELIGION AT ALL.
BASICALLY, ALL THOSE RIGHTS AND
FREEDOMS THAT WE ENJOY HERE,
THEY DON'T HAVE IN THOSE
OTHER COUNTRIES.
ESPECIALLY THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
THERE ARE TOO MANY COUNTRIES
IN THIS WORLD
WHERE PEOPLE STILL
CAN'T VOTE.
SO, WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO
BE LIVING IN CANADA.

Daniel says DEFINITELY.
VERY LUCKY.
NOW, STEVE, WE HAVE ANOTHER
QUESTION FROM ANOTHER STUDENT,
SO LET'S CHECK IT OUT.

A girl with brown hair in pigtail braids says MY NAME'S LENNY, AND WHY'S
IT IMPORTANT TO VOTE?

Steve says OH, LENNY...
DANIEL, WE CAN BOTH
TACKLE THIS ONE, EH?
WE KNOW WHY IT'S
IMPORTANT TO VOTE.
THE PEOPLE WHO
BASICALLY MAKE THE
IMPORTANT DECISIONS
ABOUT OUR SOCIETY,
ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE ELECT.
SO, IF THEY'RE DOING A GOOD JOB,
WE RE-ELECT THEM.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT DOING A GOOD
JOB IN OUR OPINION,
WE CAN ELECT OTHER
PEOPLE TO DO IT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL
BUILDING BLOCKS OF DEMOCRACY,
IS THAT WE GET TO CHOOSE WHO
GOES TO QUEENS PARK,
OR WHO GOES PARLIAMENT
OR CITY HALL
TO REPRESENT OUR INTERESTS
AND SOCIETY'S INTERESTS,
AND MAKE THE DECISIONS ABOUT A
WHOLE RANGE OF STUFF.
OUR SCHOOLS, OUR HOSPITALS,
EDUCATION SYSTEM,
OUR SOCIAL SERVICES, OUR COURT
SYSTEM, THE ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S ALL HAPPENING THERE.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S
IMPORTANT TO VOTE.

Daniel says VERY IMPORTANT.
VERY IMPORTANT TO VOTE.
AND NOW, STEVE, ONE LAST
QUESTION FOR YOU,
LET'S CHECK IT OUT.
IT'S A SUPER IMPORTANT ONE.

A girl with straight brown hair with bangs says MR. STEVE, WHO ARE YOU VOTING
FOR THE (UNCLEAR) ELECTION?

Steve laughs and says WELL, I HAVE A LONG STANDING
PRACTICE THAT I NEVER EVER
TELL ANYBODY WHO I VOTE FOR.
I DON'T EVEN TELL MY
WIFE WHO I VOTE FOR.
AND DANIEL, I'M SORRY TO SAY,
I'M NOT TELLING YOU EITHER.

Daniel says WELL, WE ALL KNOW THAT YOU
LIKE TOMATO SAUCE, RIGHT?

Steve chuckles and says YES, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I'M
GONNA VOTE FOR THE TOMATO.

Daniel says WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH,
MR. PAIKIN,
FOR JOINING US TODAY ON
TVO K NEWS.

Steve says LOT'S OF FUN,
THANKS DANIEL.
ANYWAY, THAT IS ALL
FROM US TODAY,
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
UNTIL NEXT WEEK,
THAT HAS BEEN
TVO K NEWS.

(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)

Logo: TVO Kids News.